Display device



May 23, 1961 M. S. KAHN DISPLAY DEVICE I Filed Oct. 18, 1957 CD z MU,

INVENTOR BY kw/zyy yg ATTORNEY DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Oct. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 691,015

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-78) The present invention is directed to a display device, and more particularly to a display device which serves as a container for ink cartridges.

One of the important problems involved in merchandising consumer goods is the problem of providing adequate packaging, particularly when dealing with small articles.

The package must protect the articles during shipment, provide an attractive display and provide adequate storage and protection means when in the hands of the ultimate consumer.

The present invention is particularly directed to solving these problems with reference to small elongated rodlike or cylindrical articles, particularly ink cartridges.

Such ink cartridges are frangible cylinders approximately 4" in diameter and 2%" in length filled with ordinary fluid writing ink.

In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a rear supporting member preferably of cardboard or other sheet material having mounted thereon an open-faced container member, the open face abutting the supporting member and providing means for access to the interior of the container. Preferably the openfaced container is transparent in order to enable the consumer to see the articles therein.

More particularly, the present invention provides, as the access means, an opening through the rear supporting member, said opening communicating with the interior of the container member. This opening is normally closed by a flap mounted on the rear member and preferably integral therewith. The lower extremity of the flap is secured to the rear member in order to provide access from the upper end of the flap.

In the preferred embodiment, the container member has a plurality of lateral extensions adjacent the open face, the lateral extensions being parallel to the face of the rear supporting member, said extensions providing the means for mounting the container member on the rear supporting member.

The horizontally directed lateral extensions are reversely folded about the rear supporting member to provide two vertical channels by which the container. member is slidably supported on said rear supporting member.

Preferably, the rear supporting member is provided with laterally projecting ears below the bottom extent of the channels thereby preventing the container member from sliding off the rear supporting member.

There is also provided means which prevent the upward movement of the container member on the rear supporting member.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the display device of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rear of the display device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

'nited States Patent ice Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the flap open to provide access to the interior of the container member.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

The display device or package of the present invention comprises a rear supporting member 1 on which is slidably mounted a container member 3. The rear supporting member is made of sheet material, preferably cardboard or the like. In the upper portion of the rear supporting member there is an aperture 2 which is used for mounting the display device from a display rack or other means for displaying a plurality of the display devices.

The container member comprises a generally rectangular portion 4, of box-like shape having an open face 17 abutting the rear supporting member 2. Although the container member may be opaque, it is preferably transparent in order to display the contents thereof. It may be made of such transparent materials as regenerated cellulose, cellulose derivatives, polystyrene or other resinous plastic materials.

Container member 3 has a plurality of lateral exten sions 5 adjacent the open face of the container member, said lateral extensions being generally parallel with the rear supporting member.

The horizontal lateral extensions are reversely folded around the rear supporting member to provide portion 6 at the rear of the supporting member.

The reverse fold of lateral extensions 5 create channels 7. These vertical channels 7 slidably engage the rear supporting member, and thus the lateral extensions provide the means for mounting the container member on the rear supporting member.

To prevent the container member 3 from sliding downwardly off the rear supporting member 1, the latter is provided with laterally projecting ears 8, preferably at the bottom of the rear supporting member 1. These ears 8 act as a stop to prevent container member 3 from sliding oif the rear supporting member.

To prevent upward sliding motion of the container member 3, there is provided means such as upstruck portion 13 which overlies the upwardly directed lateral extension of the container member 3. The upstruck portion 13 is made by cutting a sinuous slit 12 in the rear supporting member 1.

Opening 11 in the rear supporting member which communicates with the open face 17 of container member 3, provides the means of access or entry into the interior of the container member through the rear supporting member.

Opening 11 is normally closed by flap 9 having an upwardly projecting tab 10 in the upper portion thereof. The bottom of the flap 9 is secured to the rear supporting member '1 and preferably integral therewith along the line 14. Flap 9 and opening 11 are made by cutting the rear supporting member along the lines 18, 18' and 18'. In this manner flap 9 pivots about the line 14.

To assemble the display device of the present invention, a plurality of cartridges 15 are placed in the container member 3 and the container member with the contents thereof is slid onto the rear supporting member by means of channels 7. Then the rear supporting member is slightly folded to cause upstruck 13 to overlie the upwardly extending lateral extension of container member 3.

The consumer or purchaser of the display device containing the cartridges therein, when he desires to remove a cartridge from the container member, opens the flap 9 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, and removes a cartridge from the con tainer member, and closes flap 9.

As can be seen from the drawing, the opening 11 and the flap 9 are both substantially coextensive with the upper third of the open face of the container member 3. The opening size is suflicient to remove one cartridge at a time from the container member.

Tab 10 provides not only the means for raising and lowering flap 9 but also serves as a stop to prevent flap 9 from being pushed too far forward so that it projects into the interior of the container member, thereby rendering the flap 9 difficult to grasp to be rearwardly displaced. The front face of container member 3 is provided with corrugations 16 which are equal in number to the number of cartridges in a vertical row. These corrugations, besides providing a pleasing esthetic effect, serve to minimize excessive rattling and movement of the cartridges within the container member.

Preferably when cutting or punching along the lines 18, 18 and 18", line 14, which provides the hinge means for the flap, is left untouched, in order to be certain that the flap stays in a closed position during shipment and handling. Obviously, if so desired, the rear supporting member may be creased or scored along line 14 in order to provide means for more easily initially bending flap 9 on hinge line 1 4.

Although the present invention has been described particularly with reference to a display device or package for ink cartridges, obviously it may be used with any similar rod-like article. The upper portion of the front face of the rear supporting member may be imprinted with appropriate advertising or other descriptive material. The rear face of the rear supporting member is admirably adapted to be imprinted with instructions for the use of the device as well as with instructions for inserting a new cartridge into a pen.

I claim:

1. A display package for displaying articles comprising a substantially fiat supporting member, a transparent open-faced forwardly projecting box-like container mounted on the forward face of said supporting member with the open face abutting the forward face of the supporting member, said container containing the articles being displayed, a flap cut from said supporting member to provide an opening through the supporting member behind said container providing access to the interior of the container through the rear face of the supporting member, said flap having one side thereof integral with the supporting member to permit flexure of the flap, said flap normally closing said opening, said container having horizontally directed lateral extensions adjacent the open face, said extensions being parallel to and superposed on the front face of the supporting member, said extensions having portions reversely turned about the supporting member to provide vertical channels for slidably sup porting the container on said supporting member, the supporting member extending above the container and means for preventing downward movement of the container relative to the supporting member said means comprising laterally projecting ears on the supporting member below the bottom extent of the channels.

2. A display-package as recited in claim 1 wherein said container includes vertically directed lateral extensions adjacent the open face, said extensions being parallel to and superposed on the front face of the supporting member, said supporting member having an upstmck portion which overlies an upwardly direct lateral extensionof the container to provide means for normally preventing upward movement of the container relative to the supporting member.

3. A display package for displaying articles comprising a substantially flat supporting member, a transparent open-faced forwardly projecting boxlike container mounted on forward faceof said supporting member with the open face abutting the forward face of the supporting member, said container having a plurality of lateral extensions adjacent the open face, said extensions being parallel to and superposed 'on the front face of the supporting member, said extensions comprising horizontally directed extensions reversely turned about the supporting members to provide vertical channels for slid? ably supporting the container on said supporting member, and means for preventing downward movement of the container relative to the supporting member, said means comprising laterally projecting ears on the supporting member below the bottom extent of the channel, the articles being displayed being positioned within said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,867,556 Moll July 19, 1932 2,568,625 Harvey Sept. 18, 1951 2,732,934 Hall Jan. 31, 1956 2,813,624 Phipps Nov. 19, 1957 2,816,666 Nadel Dec. 17, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 655,998 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Packaging (publication), September 1957, pages 148-149. 

